Ben “Having Input in the Offense” Should Not Be News

The fact that Pittsburgh Steelers’ Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger met with offensive coordinator Todd Haley several times during the off-season should not be big news and frankly it wasn’t. At least not until those meetings became public and it was then announced that Roethlisberger “had input” in the offense.

So I ask the question to which I already know the answer, “Why is this news?”

It’s news because it’s Ben Roethlisberger that’s why. Did any of us really believe that a guy entering his tenth season as a starting quarterback in the NFL would not have some input in the offense he would be commanding?

No one thought it was news when Troy Aikman sat down with Norv Turner during their days in Dallas. I didn’t see any headlines on Philip Rivers meeting with Turner to discuss what he did or didn’t feel comfortable with out in San Diego.

Does Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady or Peyton Manning have a say in what they like or don’t like about the offense? You’re damn right they do so why should a two-time Super Bowl winner having a say in his offense be news?

Because it’s Ben Roethlisberger that’s why. He is and always has been held to a different standard than other top quarterbacks so this should really come as no surprise quite frankly. Maybe when Roethlisberger leads the team back to the Super Bowl, cures cancer and solves world hunger then stories like this won’t even be stories. They’ll be mere side-notes.

But that’s wishful thinking because it’s Ben Roethlisberger of course.

Marc Uhlmann writes for and co-owns www.steelcityblitz.com. Follow him on Twitter @steeldad and follow the website at @SCBlitz. He can be heard Mondays on Trib-Live Radio at 4pm ET talking Steelers.